On day two, we embarked on a fantastic tour set up by MWR (our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation folks) that brought three coach buses full of sailors (between two ships that were in port) to Jerusalem. My same awesome liberty group all embarked one of the buses, and were blessed with the back row! J The drive was over an hour and a half to the Old City, as we traveled from Haifa in the north down to Jerusalem in the south. Our tour guide, Monette, was quite the lady, full of great facts and hilarious stories as we made our way there. We made a brief stop along the way, where I charged up with a café, as many of us were falling asleep during calmness of the bus ride. But I didn’t want to miss anything—I was in ISRAEL, after all!
Monette told us all the stories of Israel’s wars and conflicts, particularly as of late, and all the disputes about borders, religion, and peace. We as Americans seem to have always heard about these disputes, but it’s quite different to actually be there and see the lands in question. We skirted along the West Bank making our way south, and soon approached that great city in the history of this world: Jerusalem.
The bus first brought us up to the Mount of Olives for a brief stop to catch a vista of the city. Wow. All I could think was, I can’t believe I’m actually here. I’d seen photos and videos of the Holy Land, particularly after watching Fr. Robert Barron’s “Catholicism,” but to be here is so different. I saw the great stone gate surrounding the Old City, the famed gold roof of the Dome of the Rock, and looked down to see the olive trees that lined the Mount of Olives.
Next, we proceeded to the Church of All Nations (because many nations donated to make this church possible), also known as the Church of the Agony, built over the garden of Gethsemane. Entering into its gates from the side, you walk through a garden—THE garden, and then around to the front of the church. A pilgrim group had Mass going on, but many tourists were still walking around inside. I realized quickly that Mass was going on, and that it was during the Eucharistic prayer (I know enough Spanish to realize that!) and so I quickly headed to a pew and knelt in our Lord’s presence before I played tourist. I caught my first glimpse of a Franciscan priest, of the order who has been entrusted by the Church to maintain these sites in the Holy Land, and are known for their Jerusalem cross. Just before the altar is a large rock, said to be the rock on which our Lord prayed and cried and sweat drops of blood in His agony leading up to the crucifixion. A beautiful mosaic depicts this above the altar. Once the pilgrim group finished Mass, we were able to walk up to that rock for veneration. I waited my turn, and then knelt down before it, placing first my hands then leaning down to press my face onto it. There, I placed myself in the garden with our Lord, and tears quickly welled up in my eyes. This was the very spot where, our God-made-man, Jesus Christ, who knew no sin yet became sin on our behalf, realized what He faced before Him, and begged the Father that this cup might pass—yet, thank God, He uttered those key words: Not my will, but Yours be done. Totally overwhelming. And it was all here. Like REALLY here. As we walked back to the bus, we passed by the Church of the Assumption (aka the “Dormition” or, the “falling asleep” of Mary) which was the site where Our Lady was assumed into heaven at her death, surrounded by her Son’s disciples.
Next, it was time for lunch. We traveled to the Ramat Rachel Hotel, just outside of Jerusalem and overlooking Bethlehem (quite a nice view!) and enjoyed a great middle eastern lunch and lots of water. (have I mentioned it was really hot??) Unfortunately, the view of Bethlehem was the closest we got to exploring it. It’s not a safe area for tourists. On the way back to the city, we stopped at another great vista/park area for photos. Then, it was time for the Old City!
We disembarked the bus just outside of the Dung Gate, which is the closest gate of the Old City to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). Just as you pass inside the gate, on the right was the site of the temple where Jesus drove out the salesmen and money-changers. Now, a mosque stands in its place. We continued walking and came up to a security checkpoint, with armed Israeli soldiers/police roaming the area. Past the checkpoint opened up to a big square and the famous Western Wall, which still stands from the temple that once stood there. One of the holiest sites on the earth for Jews, it was full of people, even in the midday heat. All ages; mothers, fathers, children, students, tourists. As is customary in Judaism, there is a partition for where the men pray and the women pray along this sacred wall. It is a common practice for a devotee to write down a prayer or intention on a piece of paper and place it in one of the cracks of the wall as they approached it and offered their prayer to the Lord. I had prepared a short prayer on the bus, and approached the wall and offered it to God as I rested my hands and my head on the stone. It was a powerful moment. I will say—the women’s side of the wall was smaller, and much more packed!
Then began our trek in the streets and alleys of the Old City. As we walked along the stone roads, I just kept thinking about how Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, walked these very streets. All of his life. As a child, as a young man, and in His public ministry…these were His “stomping grounds.” This wasn’t just some obscure old place from the Bible—it was a real city! Bustling with people! We visited during Ramadan, so there were probably less locals out than usual, but you could still tell it was and is a thriving city, where ancient and modern worlds live side by side.
Our wandering through the streets finally brought us to the holiest site in the city for Christians—the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Within this church are the sites of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a little square outside the main entry to the church. As you walk in, directly in front of you is a beautiful mosaic of our Lord’s last moments, and before you is a large stone said to be the stone where Jesus’ body lay as it was prepared for burial. To the right and up some steep steps is the chapel of the site of the crucifixion, Golgotha, guarded by a monk of the eastern church, lined with mosaics, icons, and candles. I should add—the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is maintained by representatives from the major Christian denominations—very cool. I was able to make my way through a big crowd and touch the place under the altar where the cross stood. Underneath this site is a crypt chapel, called the Chapel of Adam; it is said that this is the site where Adam was buried, and that the blood Christ spilled on the cross that day made its way through the ground to the skull of Adam, accentuating the way that Christ’s fidelity reversed Adam’s sin. There is also evidence inside this space of the bedrock being split, as from an earthquake, as it is written in the Scriptures at the moment our Lord died. Then, on the other side of the church is the site where Jesus was buried and then rose from the dead. It’s amazing how all those places are to be so close together—sometimes in films or when reading Scripture, we might picture those sites as being far from each other. But, it makes sense that our Lord was buried very near to where He died. And what the city of Jerusalem was then is not exactly as it is today—after all the conquests and changes of hand it has faced these millennia! I spent most of my time walking around in silence, alone, taking in the sacredness of this place. I venerated the anointing stone and the burial site, and just missed the start of Vespers led by the Franciscans in the Catholic chapel. I wanted to stay, but I’d already surpassed the time allotted to us by our tour guide, and caught back up with the group!
